Direction-changing transmission mechanism



May 22, 1923.

1,456,349 R. H. WHITE DIRECTION .CHANGING TRANSMISSION MECHANISM April14. 1921 Patented May 22, 1923.

NITED STATES FHCE.

BOLLIN H. WHITE, 01 CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOE TO THE CLEVELANDTRACTOR COMPANY, OF EUCLID, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

' DIRECTION-CHANGING TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

Application filed April 14, 1921. Serial No. 461,286.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoLLiN H. WHITE, a citizen of the United States,residin at Cleveland Heights, in' the county of uyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inDirection-Changing Transmission Mechanism, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The object of the present invention is to provide eificient and notexpensive mechanism by which motion from a driving shaft which rotatesin one direction only may be so transmitted to the differential gearingon a motor vehicle that it may be rotated at will in either direction.

The invent-ion consists in the construction and combination of partsshown in the drawingand hereinafter described and pointed out definitelyin the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional rear elevation of the invention,and Fig. 2 is a sectional view in the plane of line 2-2 on fieferring tothe. parts by reference characters, 10 represents the rotating drum orhousing of any conventional or suitable differential mechanism, such asis used on motor vehicles for transmitting differentiated motion to thetwo driving axles of the vehicle. Those familiar with this art willunderstand that as this differential housing or drum is rotated in onedirection or the other, the two driving axles will be correspondinglyrotated through the differential gearing housed within the drum, to theend that the vehicle shall be driven forward or backward, according tocircumstances. A. large spur rin gear 11 is secured coaxially to thedifferential drum, and this is always in mesh with a wide spur pinion12fixed to a rotatable shaft 13.

The present invention has to do with the means by which this shaft 13 issupported gear may be clutched to the shaft. When the gear 17 isclutched to said shaft, it and the diflerential drum will be turned inthat direction which will cause the vehicle to move forward. The gear 16is the reverse gear, and when it is clutched to the shaft 13, said shaftand differential drum will be rotated in the reverse direction and causethe vehicle to move backward.

This mechanism is enclosed and mounted within a casing 20 within whichare two aligned bearing brackets 21, 22. The hub 23 of the gear 17 isrotatably mounted within the bearing bracket 22 there being interposedbetween such hub and bearing bracket an ordinary annular ball bearing23*. This hub contains a bushin 24, and the shaft 13 is slidably fittedwithin the bushing and is capable of rotating therein. The hub 23 isformed independently of gear 17, is provided with an end flan 23. Thebevel gear 17 is an annulus an it is fixed to said flange by cap screws23". The inner periphery of the gear 17 is formed with gear teeth 17which are adapted to intermesh with the pinion 12 to thereby clutchtogether the shaft 13' and gear 17.

The reverse is also an annulus and its inner peripher is also providedwith gear teeth adapte to intermesh with pinion 12, to clutch the gearto shaft 13, there being an ordinary annular ball bearin 28 interposedbetween this sleeve and the earing 21.

The gear 16 is fixed to the flanged inner end of a sleeve hub 26, whichhas a bushing 26 within which a sleeve 27 is rotatable, said sleevebeing rotatably supported on annular ball bearings 28 carried by thebearing bracket 21. The ball bearing prevents endwise movement of sleeve27; and endwise movement of the gear hub 26 on said sleeve is preventedby the fact that'said hub is fitted between a flange 27 on sleeve 27,and washers 29 which engage the inner ring of the adjacent annular ballbearing.

The shaft 13 is rotatable within the gear I load on shaft 13 will besustained by the two ball bearings; and in that event the gear 16 willnot be transmitting an load but will rotate upon the sleeve 27. lvhen,however, the vehicle is moving backward as the result of clutching gear16 to shaft 13, the load on shaft 13 will be sustained by the ballhearing 28, and by the plain bearing between shaft 13 and the hub 23.But the vehicle is backed such a very small part of the time, that theloss of eiiicienc'y due to the plain bearing between the shaft and hub23 is negli ible, and is more than offset by the saving e ected by theuse of the ball bearings only.

The following mechanism is provided for moving the shaft 13 from theneutral position, as shown in Fig. 1, in either direction to selectivelyclutch it to the gears 16 and 17. An annular groove 13 is formed .in theshaft 13 near one end thereof. A pivoted shifter yoke 33 straddles thisshaft and its arms carry rollers 34 which engage in said groove. Theyoke is pivoted about midway between its ends on a pin supported bybrackets 20 of the casing 20. The two arms of the yoke are connectedatone end by a transverse bar 33, which is straddled and embraced by theforked end of the shifter lever 38, which lever is fixed to a rock shaft36 having an operating handle 37. 'The rocking of this rock shaft willcause the endwise movement of the shaft to any desired position.

There are three positions in which it is. desired to latch the shaft. Todo this both arms of the shifter yoke are beveled to an edge; and aspring 40 is fixed to the casing in such position that two grooves 40,40", may in engaged by the yoke arms. When the shaft is in theneutralposition both 'oke arms engage these grooves as shown. lvhen the yoke isrocked to move the shaft to the right from the neutral position as shownin Fig. 1, the left arm of the yoke engages the groove 40". When theshaft is moved in the other direction the right arm of the yoke willengage in groove 40*. In all cases the shaft will be latched, but may beeasily unlatched by the same movement of the yoke which is required tomove the shaft.

Having described my invention, I cla1m:

1. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of twobearing supports, a bevel 7 ar having a tubular hub which is rotata ly1mounted in one of said supports, a tubular sleeve which is rotatablymounted in the other of said supports, a bevel gear rotatably mountedupon said sleeve, 9. driving bevelgear engaging both of the bevel gearsspecified, a shaft which is rotatably fitted in the tubular hub of thefirst mentioned bevel gear and is also fitted within and has a tongueand groove engagement with said sleeve, a spur pinion fixed to saidshaft between the two bevel gears and means to selectively clutch thetwo bevel gears to said shaft.

2. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of twobearing supports, a bevel gear havin a tubular hub which is rotatablymounte on annular ball hearings in one of said supports, a tubularsleeve which is rotatably mounted on annular ball bearings in the otherof said supports, a bevel gear whose hub is rotatab y mounted upon saidsleeve, a driving bevel gear engaging both bevel gears specified wherebythey may be driven in opposite directions, a shaft which is rotatablyfitted in the tubular hub of the first mentioned bevel gear and is alsofitted within and has a tongue and groove engagement with the saidsleeve, a spur pinion fixed to said shaft between the two bevel gears,and means operable by the endwise movement of said shaft to selectivelyclutch the two bevel gears to it, and means to move said shaft endwise.

3. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of twobearing supports, a. bevel gear havin a tubular hub which is rotatablymounte on annular ball hearings in one of said supports, a tubularsleeve which is rotatably mounted on annular ball bearings in the otherof said supports, a bevel gear whose hub is rotatably mounted upon saidsleeve, a bevel gear engaging both bevel gears specified whereby the maybe driven in opposite directions, a s aft which is rotatably fitted inthe .tubular hub of the first mentioned bevel gear and is also fittedwith in and has a tongue and groove engagement with the sleeve, a

spur pinion fixed to said shaft between the two bevel gears, each ofsaid bevel gears being formed with an internal gear constructed to meshwith the spur pinion on said shaft, and means to move said shaft endwisein either direction from a neutral position to selectively cause saidspur pinion to mesh with the internal gears on said bevel gears.

4. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of twobearing supports, a tubular hub rotatably mounted in one of said bearingSupports on annular ball bearings supported therein, said hub having atits inner end a flange, a. sleeve rotatably mounted on annular ballbearings in the other bearing support, a gear hub rotatably mounted uponsaid sleeve and provided with a flange, means to prevent endwisemovement of hub u 11 said sleeve, two annular bevel gears which arerespectively fixed to the flanges of said gear hubs and are respectivelyformed with internal gears, a shaft which is rotatably fitted in thefirst named gear hub and which is fitted in and has a tongue and grooveconnection with the said sleeve, a spur pinion fixed to said shaft andconstructed for selective engagement with the internal gears on both ofsaid bevel gears, a bevel ar engaging the two bevel gears mentioned torotate them in o posite directions, a spur gear constantly in mesh withthe spur inion on the shaft and means to move said shaft in eitherdirection to cause the spur pinion thereon to selectively engage theinternal gears on said bevel ars.

5. n direction changing transmission mechanism, the combination of ashaft which is rotatable and movable endwise, a spur inion fixedthereto, a driven gear constant y in mesh with said spur pinion, twogears rotatably mounted coaxial with said shaft, means 0 erable by theendwise movement of said sh gears to said shaft, means for moving saidshaft endwise in either direction from its neutral position, andyielding latch mechanism en ging said shaft moving mechanism to old itin various positions as reuired, said shaft moving mechanism inc udin arock shaft and a forked lever arm secure thereto having tapered ends,and a sprin having two.notches arranged so that bot arms of saidforklever may engage both notches or either arm may'engage one of saidnotches.

6. In direction changing transmission gears rotatably mounted coaxia aftto selectively clutch said bo h yoke having at one mechanism, theombination of a shaft which vided with a circumferential groove, a spurpinion fixed thereto, a driven gear 'constantly in mesh with said spurinion, two fwith said shaft, means 0 erable by the endwise movement ofsaid s aft tose ectively clutch said gears to said shaft, means formoving said shaft endwise in either direction from its neutral position,and yielding latch mechanism en gin said shaft moving mechanism to oldIt in various positions as reuired, said shaft moving mechanism inudin arock shaft and a forked lever arm secure thereto having tapered ends,and a spring having two notches arranged so that t arms of said forklever may engage both notches or either arm may engage one of saidnotches said shaft movin mechanism also includin a yoke pivote midwaybetween its ends t e rollers being mounted in the ends of yoke armsengaging the circumferential groove in the shaft, and the end atransverse bar which is straddled by the two arms on the operatinglever.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

ROLL-IN H. WHITE.

